M6.3 earthquake - Kermadec Islands region

What happened

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Kermadec Islands region on 20 Dec 1956, 11:00 UTC at a depth of 15 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.